stop stopping yourself

Adrian Reith Executive Coach - welcome

Adrian supports leaders to achieve change – in Education, Health, Media, Arts, Business, Tech, Sport and Third Sector. And many in emergent roles.

Adrian spent 25 years as writer, director and business owner in communications media.

Dealing at Owner, Board and Senior Level in radio, film, TV & advertising he worked with the top people in some of the UK's best businesses including FTSE 100: Carphone Warehouse, Coca-Cola, BBC, Boden, Nationwide, Dunlop, Telewest, Autoglass and Transport for London – plus the top 20 agencies.

Prizes: During these years he won numerous industry prizes including D&AD, Creative Circle, Clio Awards, Irish Grand Prix and the Silver and Gold Sony Radio Awards.He also co-wrote several humour books.

1994 – Present, founded The Jungle Group the leading UK Audio Post Production company www.thejunglegroup.co.uk He remains a non-exec director.

Coaching Qualifications: Adrian has the Professional Certified Coach qualification, 1200+ hours of coaching time, ICF Certified Coaching Diploma; ; subscribes to the ICF code of ethics and has a coach supervisor and professional indemnity insurance. On top of the Diploma Training with Coaching Development (135 hours), Adrian has an additional training in Transactional Analysis 101; Appreciative Inquiry; Action Learning Facilitator; Deepening Intimacy & Trust; Gift of Feedback; Using Non-Verbal Skills; Unconscious at Work; Authenticity; Restorying & Enneagram Training. Adrian is an Approved Coaching Support Specialist to the UK Sport Elite Programme.

2011-2014 Founding Chair of Trustees, Street Child World Cup – since taking his family to visit a street child project in Durban in 2007, he helped establish the international charity– taking teams of street children from 19 countries to the competition in Rio de Janeiro in March 2014. www.StreetChildWorldCup.org

ad exec

CEO

"I found working with Adrian very helpful both personally and professionally. Getting to a clear picture of the things that mattered most to me established a great focus and framework for discussion. At a time of massive change in our business this was a very valuable constant."

Gwyn Jones, Group Chief Executive, BBH Worldwide

Coaching task: Ownership and leadership transition.

olympic coach

Adrian Reith is working with Michel Assouline the multi gold medal winning Paralympic Dressage National Coach to support him up to the Rio Olympics 2016.

doctor

“the best bloody thing I’ve done in my life (apart from marrying Linda!)”

The truth is out there...There was a seminal moment during our coaching sessions when I realised my measure for success was how busy I was. Understanding that and that solutions come from within has been a rich experience and helped me enormously over the last year.

sound designer

"The best thing is being able to articulate issues and find practical ways of dealing with them. Once a problem is tangible it is much easier to fix."

Rick Morris

Coaching task: leadership development

"I've had a few of coaching sessions with Adrian in the past few months. Initially I couldn't imagine how he could help or what he could help with, but actually the sessions have been more help than anything I've ever done before.

My last meeting with him was such a big eye-opener that I'd like everyone in the team to benefit from his help."

choreographer

"Effortlessly, in a pleasant casual- conversational atmosphere, Adrian has led me to finding the core issues in the complexity of my life and position, finding the core questions, and most importantly led me to the very core of practical solutions to deal with these.

Simple yet powerful and effective, both honest and gentle, Adrian seems to use his sharp instincts combined with endless knowledge to create a pathway out of the woods…

Coming to Adrian after being lost in an ocean of a busy life style, I re-found flow, ease, and a sense of purpose in what I do.

I also received tools to handle complex management issues, and noticed a real change in my whole organization since my first meeting with Adrian. The tools, which at times required a good amount of guts and a change of pattern, proved to be extremely effective.

To me Adrian is like a gentle stream of water, that can re-shape a rock."

academic

"Adrian Reith has been a marvellous support both for me and my senior staff during a period of change in my Institute. He helped me become more aware of my weaknesses, in a constructive way, and also uncover strengths that I had not fully appreciated. He is an excellent and active listener whose skills as a life coach are quietly effective."

writer

"Adrian has an ability to make you think about your life - what worked in the past and what would be best for your future. He doesn’t tell you what you should do, but allows you space to work out your strengths and weaknesses, accompanied by some gentle prodding. I write as someone not keen on introspection, but Adrian made it a painless process. Two years on, the decisions I made based on our sessions have proved very good ones. He’s a wise man."

journalist

"To be honest I was slightly disappointed at first.

A part of me wanted a bit of snake oil and showmanship. I wanted the theatre of analysis and the authority of someone with degrees and doctorates. But there were no fancy consulting rooms, no dramatic claims. There was no prescriptive party line telling me this is how it would be, this is what I should do.

There was just Adrian quietly asking me what I wanted to do with today’s session, or what did I want to do with that thought? ‘I don’t know, you tell me,’ I kept thinking’. ‘I’m new to this game, you’re the bloody expert, what do you think I should do?’

It was an irritating, difficult, but incredibly powerful question based on the assumption that I have all the answers inside me and my problem is that I just can't get at them. It forced me to think things through and take responsibility for my conclusions.

But sometimes thought isn’t enough.

When faced with difficult choices I can end up paralysed with indecision. So Adrian taught me a simple technique to cut though all the internal intellectual wrangling.

He constantly suggested I follow my energy. If an idea energises you, you feel it physically, in my case in the stomach. No need to wonder whether a decision is right or whether you really want it. If your stomach rises, do it. If your stomach falls, don’t.

Armed with these techniques I was able to address the mess of thoughts in my head.

It was a bit like going in with a plate of spaghetti. All Adrian did was help me straighten the strands. Again I found the exercise irritatingly basic but incredibly useful and powerful. It allowed me to take accurate stock of my situation and plan where I wanted to go.

The first few sessions were low key, they were difficult and energising. But I had still had no clear idea of where I was going. But after about our fourth session, something strange started happening. Following Adrian’s advice to ‘follow your gut’ I started writing for an environmental web site. All of a sudden my energy and purpose came flooding back. It became crystal clear to me for the first time that I really want to remain a journalist but that I would have to work very differently.

Now our sessions are over, the recession is still on, newspapers and magazines are still in sharp decline.

The difference is that I am now a man with a plan.

I have a destination and a route map to get there. I may have done most of the work myself but I couldn't have done it, wouldn’t have done it without Adrian."

Alex Benady - Journalist

HR director

What a momentous change six sessions made, not only to my approach to work but my life as a complete package.

I now challenge myself in a positive and constructive way – resulting in increased self-confidence and a better way of running my life and doing my job.

HC, Director of Workforce & Organisational Development

Coaching task: Confidence

comedy writer

"I've really enjoyed working together. I have untangled my thoughts and become a lot clearer about the direction I want to head off in and found an effective way of communicating with my co-workers. Our sessions have helped me not only find clarity but have increased my motivation and energy levels."

publisher

"I wanted specifically to thank you for your part in aiding me to this point – without your support and guidance last year I would never have reached this place - a huge thank you for all you have done to assist this move."

Education Publisher, Cambridge

Coaching task: Managing change

designer

"I wanted to thank you for a really positive session today. Your understanding about my emotions with X with particular reference to the day to day was hugely appreciated.

Letting go of the uncontrollable will be a huge step in the right direction.